Needle carrier wiping means



April 1951 J. M. WASHBURN 2,549,268

NEEDLE CARRIER WIPING MEANS Filed Jan. 50, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 o L I 6 E f l? 37 fmvenfior: (fa/0m M TVdsFl/burm %MdM M's Aio rive-gs April 1951 J. M. WASHBURN 2,549,268

NEEDLE CARRIER WIPING MEANS Filed Jan. 30, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 In venor: efokm M Was-70%;?

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Patented Apr. 17, 1951 NEEDLE CARRIER WIPING MEANS John M. Washburn, West Hartford, Conn., assignor to The Merrow Machine Company, Hartford, Cnn., a corporation of Connecticut Application January '30, 1950, Serial No. 141,209

13 Claims.

In certain overseaming machines a curved eye-pointed needle is oscillated to follow an arcuate path extending above and below a needle plate for cooperation with looper elements in the formation of overedge stitches. chines of this type are operated at high rates of speed and it is important that bearing surfaces of the needle carrier and a stud for pivotally Supporting the carrier be kept lubricated con- .tinuously with a film of oil therebetween. During operation of such a machine a slight flow of oil is diverted from the indicated bearing surfaces as from the effect of vibration and centrifugal force and this diverted oil is prone to accumulate on the outer face and adjacent areas of the needle carrier in sufficient quantity to be finally cast therefrom and onto the work as the latter is fed over the work support and needle plate therebelow. For obvious reasons this oil thrown onto the work is objectionable.

Sewing ma- To prevent discharge of oil from the needle carrier onto the work is the object of the present invention. With this end in view an important feature of the invention consists of a wiping device for removing oil from peripheral surfaces and associated parts in the sewing machine illustrated in Fig. 1, with the needle at one end of its range of movement. v

Figure 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with the needle at the opposite end of its range of movement.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig.

3, also showing added parts related to those of i Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Referring to the drawings the overseaming machine illustrated thereby is of the well known Merrow type in which the stitch forming implements comprise a curved eye-pointed needle I an upper looper 2 and a lower looper 3. Mechanism for actuating these implements is not here shown but is fully disclosed in numerous patents,

as for example, in United States Letters Patent No. 1,983,631, granted December 11, 1934, upon application of Joseph M. Merrow.

To support the needle I for oscillatory movement it is mounted in a carrier 4 having a hub 5 (Fig. 4) and a web portion 6 at the outer end of the hub, the latter being provided with a tapered bearing hole 1. Web 6 merges into an arm 8, from which, on the hub side of the web, a stud 9 extends and at a free extremity of the web a head Ill extends oppositely somewhat beyond the plane of the outer web surface ll. Head H1 is provided with a stud I2 to receive thereon a washer I3, which, to prevent its turning with respect to the head In, is keyed to the latter as at M. A nut I5 threaded on stud l2 serves to urge clamp or washer I3 toward head It to secure therebetween the needle shank l6 which passes through a hole in stud l2. For a purpose that will presently be described, a channel I! is formed in the outer face H of carrier 4 and intersects the wall of tapered hole I and the peripheral surface l8'of web 6 where the latter projects as a rib only slightly beyond the similar surface of hub 5. The stud 9 before mentioned and extended from relatively short arm 8 of the needle carrier, receives a link connection I9 which is associated with carrier actuating means hereinafter described.

Serving to pivotally support the carrier 4, is a screw threaded stud 20 having a slotted head 2| which is longitudinally tapered to correspond to the taper of hole I in said carrier. With the 'wall of hole I engaged by stud 20, the latter may be screwed into machine frame 22 until the inner end surface of hub 5 is brought into engagement with frame surface 23 to thereby establish bearing fit between respective tapered surfaces of the stud and the carrier.

This adjustment, when completed, may be secured in desired precise relation by set screw 24 (see Fig. 5). The bearing surface of stud 2!] is of a length that is shorter than hole I for the purpose-of leavingwithin the outer end of the hole 1, a

:space or recess 25, from which, channel or duct about its'pivotal axis to move needle I in the arcuate path which it travels in making successive penetrations of work as W supported on needle plate 29 and work support 30, (see Fig. 4). Extreme positions of the needle carrier in its range of movement in this arcuate path are shown respectively in Figs. 2 and 3.

For lubricating the several bearing surfaces indicated in the above description, oil may be downwardly toward channel ll. This oil is also acted upon by centrifugal force created by move-. ment of carrier 4, and is therefore expelled through channel H, or in other words, diverted from moving out onto'the outer lateral face of said carrier where it is objectionable for the reason already stated.

To aid in disposal of this displaced oil'a wiper element 35 is provided for engagement with carrier 4 as illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. Preferably the wiper 35 comprises a thin plate 36 secured by screw 31 to a suitable support such as an adjacent part of the machine frame 22. Free end 36 of plate 36 is inclined upwardly toward hub 5 and terminates in a vertical flange. One side of this vertical flange forms a blade 39 which engages rib I8 and serves to divert from the carrier, oil discharged through channel ii. The opposite .side of the vertical flange forms a blade 40 which engages hub 5 between the frame and rib l8;

and serves to divert therefrom such oil as may be gathered directly on the hub from the frame surface 23 adjacent thereto. Free end 36 of plate 36 is of spring temper and is so adjusted that blades 39 and 40 are urged respectively against rib l8 and hub 5 with a, light yielding pressure to insure effective contact of the blades with carrier surfaces. It will be observed that blades 39 and 40 engage the carrier along a line substantially coincident with a vertical plane through the pivotal axis of the carrier, that is to state, along the lowermost part of the carrier. On the right hand side of this plane (as viewed in Figs. 1, 2 and 3), oil deposited on the perimeter surface of web 6 would, under centrifugal force, tend to move uninterruptedly to the needle carrying head 10, where it would be objectionable for reasons stated above. On the left hand side however, of the plane indicated, any residue of oil left onv rib 5, which rib merges into carrier arm 8, would be directed toward the end of said arm, onto inclined surface 4|, and thence advantageously onto bearing stud 9 to lubricate the link engagement therewith. To facilitate such passage of oil, the outer edge of arm 8 is beveled as at 42. That is, an inclined surface is formed at the base of stud 9, and as shown, extends toward the base of the arm into proximity with channel II. In view of the mentioned tendencies effecting oililow on the carrier, it is important that channel ll be so located in the carrier hub "5 that its are or range of movement will be limited to the left of wiper element 35 as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, or to that side of the carrier which includes arm 8, because then whatever modicum of oil may pass from channel ll onto the web, instead of beyond it or onto-blade 36, will tend, under centrifugal force, to move only I claim is:

4 to the extremity of arm 8 and then be disposed of therefrom as above indicated.

Thus the needle carrier'and parts associated therewith may be defined as comprising, a support, a pivotal stud carried thereby, an element mounted on the stud, said element comprising a hub and web portion, with the hub somewhat longer than the bearing surface of said stud engaged thereby so that a recess is provided in the outer face of the hub adjacent to the end of the stud, said web around a portion of the hub circumference forming a slight rib and therebeyond merging into an arm having a needleholding head, and also merging'into an actuating arm for suitable engagement with means for actuating the carrier, a wiper device for engagement'with the rib portion of the hub and also with the'hub between the rib and the support, and the carrier having a channel intersecting the recess and leading therefrom to the perimeter of the rib or web at a part thereof which is intermediate where the hub is engaged by the wiper blades and the outer end of said actuating arm.

It will be understood that the present invention is not limited to the exact details herein shown and described and that the principles involved may be applied in other mechanisms without departure from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I l.' In a sewing machine, a support, an element having a hub and a web portion, a stud engaging a hole in the hub to pivotally secure the element to the support, said support having a duct therein for directing oil to the, bearing surface of the element and stud, and a wiper blade mounted on the support in engagement with the periphery of the hub of the element.

2. In a sewing machine, a support, an element having a'hub and a'web portion, saidhub having a hole. therethrough and a duct extended from the exterior of the element radially into said hole, a stud having bearing engagement within the hole to pivotally secure the element to the support, the outer end of the bearing surface of said stud terminating short of the duct, means for directing oil to bearing, surfaces of the element and stud, and a wiper blade mounted on the support in engagement with the periphery of the hub of the element.

3. Ina sewing machine, a support, an element having a hub and a web portion merging with the hub at one end of the latter, a stud engaging a hole in the hub to pivotally secure the element to the support with the end of the hub remote from the web adjacent the support, and a wiping device engaging the periphery of the hub intermediate the web and the support.

4. In a sewing machine, a support, an element having a hub and a web portion merging with the hub and forming a rib around a part of the circumference of the hub, a stud engaging a hole in the hub to pivotally secure the element to the support with an end of the hub remote from the rib adjacent the support, a wiping blade in engagement with the hub intermediate the rib and support with an end of the hub remote from the rib adjacent the support, a resilient wiping blade yieldingly urged into engagement with the hub intermediate the rib and the support, and a resilient wiping blade yieldingly urged into engagement with the rib.

6. In a sewing machine, a support, an element having a hub and a web portion merging with the hub and forming a rib around a portion of the circumference of the hub, a stud secured in the support and engaging a hole in the hub for pivotally securing the element to the support with an end of the hub remote from the rib adjacent the support, means for diverting oil from adjacent the outer end of the stud outwardly onto the rib, and a resilient wiping blade supported adjacent the rib and yieldingly engaged therewith.

7. In a sewing machine, a support, a pivotal stud secured in the support, an element mounted on the stud comprising a hub and a web portion, said hub being longer than the bearing surface of the pivotal stud so that a recess is provided in the outer face of the element adjacent the end of said bearing surface, said web portion being extended around a part of the circumference of the hub to form a slight rib and continued beyond the rib portion where it merges into a pair of arms forming respectively an implement holding head and an arm for suitable engagement with means for actuating the element, and a wiper device comprising a blade in engagement with said rib, said element having a duct intersecting the recess at the outer face of the element and leading from the recess to the perimeter of the web at a part thereof which is intermediate where the rib is engaged by the Wiper device and the outer end of the arm engageable with actuating means.

8. In a sewing machine, a support, a needle carrier having a hub and a web portion merging with the hub and forming a rib around a portion of the circumference of the hub, a tapered stud secured in the support and engaging a tapered hole in the hub for pivotally securing the needle carrier to the support with an end of the hub remote from the rib adjacent the support, and a wiping device secured to the support adjacent the hub portion of the needle carrier, said device including a resilient blade yieldingly engaged with the hub intermediate the rib and the support and a resilient blade yieldingly engaged with the circumference of the rib.

9. In a sewing machine, a support, a needle carrier having a hub and a web portion merging with the hub and forming a rib around a portion of the circumference of the hub, a tapered stud secured in the support and engaging a tapered hole in the hub for pivotally securing the needle carrier to the support with an end of the hub remote from the rib adjacent the support, means for conducting oil to the bearing between the carrier and the stud, means for diverting oil from adjacent the outer end of the bearing surface of the stud onto the periphery of the rib, and a wiping device secured to the support adjacent the hub portion of the needle carrier, said device including a blade yieldingly urged into engagement with the hub intermediate the rib and the support and a blade yieldingly urged into engagement with the circumference of the rib.

10. In a sewing machine, a support, a pivotal stud having a tapered head secured in the support, a needle carrier mounted on the stud, said carrier comprising a hub longer than the bearing surface of the stud engaged thereby so that a recess is provided in the outer end of the hub, a web portion extended around a portion of the hub and forming a rib thereon, and continued beyond the rib portion where it merges into a needle holding head, and also into an arm for suitable engagement with means for actuating the needle carrier, and a wiper device comprising a blade yieldingly urged into engagement with the rib portion of the web and a blade yieldingly urged into engagement with the hub between the rib and the support, said carrier having a duct intersecting the recess at the outer end of the hub and leading from the recess to the perimeter of the web at a part thereof which is intermediate Where the rib is engaged by the wiper device and the outer end of said arm whereby the needle carrier may be actuated.

11. In a sewing machine, a support, an element having a hub and a web portion, a stud engaging a hole in said hub to pivotally secure said element on said support, and a vertically disposed wiper blade yieldingly urged into engagement with the periphery of said hub, said element being formed with a duct leading from said hole to the periphery of said element at one side of said blade.

12. In a sewing machine, a support, a needle carrier having a hub and a web portion, said hub being at the lowermost part of said carrier, a stud engaging a hole in said hub pivotally securing said carrier on said support, and a vertically disposed wiper yieldingly urged into engagement with the lowermost part of the periphery of said hub.

13. In a sewing machine, a support, a needle carrier having a hub and a web portion merging into an operating arm, said hub being at the lowermost part of said carrier, a stud engaging a hole in said hub pivotally securing saidUcarrier on said support, and a vertically disposed wiper blade yieldingly urged into engagement with the lowermost part of the periphery of said hub, said carrier being formed with a duct leading from said hole to the periphery of said web between said arm and said wiper.

. JOHN M. WASHBURN.

No references cited. 

